Hello everyone! Mom was unable to get on the computer at home so I talked to Matt on the phone last night to see how things had ended at rehab.
Matt sounds so positive on the phone and is looking forward to returning to rehab in the new year. The final day of treatment they had Matt sit up in a chair and then prepare him to try and stand. So one of the therapists held his knees while in a sitting position and placed his arms beside him as if he were to push himself up and off the chair. Matt was able to push himself off about an inch or two off the seat! He was very excited about this and will continue to practice all the activities they had taught him.
Our internet were we are is very slow so I won't write too long. However just wanted to let you know how well Matt is doing and keep praying for his journey to recovery!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Left Arm
Matt continued to do similar exercises all week, however on Thursday Matt was able to squat and do 100 lbs with the total gym machine. Last week he could only do 70 lbs. Great job Matt!! Also when Matt was on the total gym, the trainer put Matt's one leg on his shoulder and then with his right leg he could do single leg squats. The single leg squats were harder to do with his left leg.
On Friday they really wanted to see what Matt's left arm could do.The staff got Matt to supinate/pronate, which means turning wrist so hand faces upward and then turning the wrist so the hand faces down wards. Matt needs help to this, so the staff tap a muscle in his forearm to stimulate it to move. Matt found it really hard to turn his hand from supination or "holding soup" with palm facing upwards to turning it to pronate, or palm flat on the table. Matt quotes "stupid wrist". They then worked on Matt's left elbow with the stimulator machine, which is electrical stimulation sending electricity to Matt's muscles to innervate the small muscles. The staff were able to get Matt's left arm to bend up while laying down. Matt didn't have to do much but the big thing is repetition to get his left arm stronger. They are encouraging Matt to think about moving his left arm while the stimulator is sending electrical currents to get his brain to remember how to move that muscle. Today Matt's left shoulder hurts but hopefully it is just do to using muscles he hasn't used and not a problem with his sublixation.
Matt had a great time at the pig barn Christmas party, so nice to see everyone. Matt stayed for about 4 hours but came home earlier than usually, I think he was exhausted from the rehab.
John and I are off to South Africa tonight with the girls, so mom will try to update the blog as much as she can. Matt and I will also use skype to communicate too.
On Friday they really wanted to see what Matt's left arm could do.The staff got Matt to supinate/pronate, which means turning wrist so hand faces upward and then turning the wrist so the hand faces down wards. Matt needs help to this, so the staff tap a muscle in his forearm to stimulate it to move. Matt found it really hard to turn his hand from supination or "holding soup" with palm facing upwards to turning it to pronate, or palm flat on the table. Matt quotes "stupid wrist". They then worked on Matt's left elbow with the stimulator machine, which is electrical stimulation sending electricity to Matt's muscles to innervate the small muscles. The staff were able to get Matt's left arm to bend up while laying down. Matt didn't have to do much but the big thing is repetition to get his left arm stronger. They are encouraging Matt to think about moving his left arm while the stimulator is sending electrical currents to get his brain to remember how to move that muscle. Today Matt's left shoulder hurts but hopefully it is just do to using muscles he hasn't used and not a problem with his sublixation.
Matt had a great time at the pig barn Christmas party, so nice to see everyone. Matt stayed for about 4 hours but came home earlier than usually, I think he was exhausted from the rehab.
John and I are off to South Africa tonight with the girls, so mom will try to update the blog as much as she can. Matt and I will also use skype to communicate too.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Back in Weekes
Another busy week is over for Matt and they are back in Weekes. Tuesday Matt was mentioning how "heavy" he was feeling. Not that he was weight wise feeling heavy, but his muscles wouldn't do what he wanted them to do. He thinks it may be because they are trying to decrease the amount of meds he is on and now is going through a bit of withdrawal. The whole troup spent some time shopping at the Cornwall Center for some Christmas presents in Regina. They were surprised at how difficult it was to find an elevator to the 2nd floor. It is an older center but it was frustrating for Matt who could see what store he wanted to go to but couldn't get there. Matt and Chat were going to the Big Sky Christmas party so didn't get a good update. Shelley and John are heading to South Africa so I am getting all the what to do at the house while they are gone. I will write more after I talk to Matt tomorrow. One week left and then he will decide what is next. Thanks so much for all the prayers and have a great weekend. Have fun Christmas shopping!!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Another Busy Week
It is so good to talk to dad on the phone and hear all the updates. I can almost see the expressions on the staff's faces when they ask Matt to do something that they don't expect him to accomplish. And he does it!
The staff are so good with Matt. Communication between all parties is fantastic and they love how motivated Matt is with his exercises. The one staff member found out that prior to Matt's accident he was involved in hockey, basketball and baseball. They don't usually have to motivate a client if they have a sports background. The one staff member likes to push Matt even further by saying things like "Is that all you've got, Matt?" and Matt tries even harder. Sympathy only goes so far and then tough love is needed. Matt's ability to bridge is impressive. Bridging is laying on the floor with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Then you must lift your butt off the floor and hold that position. Most patients are so flaccid with their muscles meaning they have very little muscle tone.
I am laughing right now because Jonmarie just came into the house crying. I thought she was hurt but she is crying because I told her to go outside to play and the snow isn't sticky enough to make a snowman! It is plus 4 and very little snow is on the ground. Crying is okay when you are hurt, but crying because it is boring outside is not! So she is back outside probably saying bad things about her mean mother! Tough love!
Dad told me a funny story about the one staff member that works with Matt at the Wellness Center. She is quite tall and maybe in her early 20's. Dad was thinking that she looked athletic and must have been in some sports. She answered that she had played with the University of Saskatchewan in volleyball. Dad brought up the fact that Jacki had played in the 90's and explained what her maiden name was and that she had a birthmark. Right away the girl knew who dad was talking about, because she seen Jacki's picture in the hallway at the PhysEd Building! One thing about having a birthmark is that everyone will always recognize you!
Yesterday they got Matt into a standing frame. Matt's arms are still holding onto something but they encourage him just to use his legs. He felt a bit weak and faint, but he persevered and felt better. They also did an assessment on what they could do for Matt over the long run. They would like to have Matt come back for a longer time, such as 4 months. Matt said after he is finished this round of therapy he would like to go back in March.
The staff are so good with Matt. Communication between all parties is fantastic and they love how motivated Matt is with his exercises. The one staff member found out that prior to Matt's accident he was involved in hockey, basketball and baseball. They don't usually have to motivate a client if they have a sports background. The one staff member likes to push Matt even further by saying things like "Is that all you've got, Matt?" and Matt tries even harder. Sympathy only goes so far and then tough love is needed. Matt's ability to bridge is impressive. Bridging is laying on the floor with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Then you must lift your butt off the floor and hold that position. Most patients are so flaccid with their muscles meaning they have very little muscle tone.
I am laughing right now because Jonmarie just came into the house crying. I thought she was hurt but she is crying because I told her to go outside to play and the snow isn't sticky enough to make a snowman! It is plus 4 and very little snow is on the ground. Crying is okay when you are hurt, but crying because it is boring outside is not! So she is back outside probably saying bad things about her mean mother! Tough love!
Dad told me a funny story about the one staff member that works with Matt at the Wellness Center. She is quite tall and maybe in her early 20's. Dad was thinking that she looked athletic and must have been in some sports. She answered that she had played with the University of Saskatchewan in volleyball. Dad brought up the fact that Jacki had played in the 90's and explained what her maiden name was and that she had a birthmark. Right away the girl knew who dad was talking about, because she seen Jacki's picture in the hallway at the PhysEd Building! One thing about having a birthmark is that everyone will always recognize you!
Yesterday they got Matt into a standing frame. Matt's arms are still holding onto something but they encourage him just to use his legs. He felt a bit weak and faint, but he persevered and felt better. They also did an assessment on what they could do for Matt over the long run. They would like to have Matt come back for a longer time, such as 4 months. Matt said after he is finished this round of therapy he would like to go back in March.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Back to Work
Matt, dad and Charity arrived back to Regina Sunday night. Thank goodness the weather was good. Mom also travelled back to Red Deer to good conditions. We are so happy she is back!! We missed her so much. We are also missing Matt too but we know he needs to be where he is for the time being. Yesterday Matt did some bike work.
Today Matt was on the total gym and they had Matt do 70 lbs to start with and the owner wanted to see if Matt could do single leg modified squats (again at 45 degree angle) and Matt could it with his right leg better than his left with no weight (just his own body weight) and could even do a little with his left leg. It must wear him out because while he was explaining it to me he was yawning the whole time!!
Just to give a little background information on the Wellness Center. The method they use is the Dardzinski Method, which was created in the States. It is devoted to helping people with spinal cord injuries, recovering function below their level of injury. This is the first certified Project Walk facility in Canada and was started just over 1 year ago. It is a non-profit organization but do not have charitable status therefore they are unable to issue taxable receipts. However corporate sponsorship can be used as an advertising expense and are tax deductible. At each level of sponsorship you get advertising recognition. Silver $2000 (1 year), Gold $5000 (1 year)Platinum $10000 (over 3 years) Titanium $25000 (over 5 years). 75% will go directly to Matt's training fees and 25% to the running of the First Steps Wellness center. The cost to Matt for one hour is $70, so a sponsorship of $1000 would give Matt just over 10 hours of therapy. I really pray one day they will get charitable status so any one can give what they can. Matt said many of the patients attending the Wellness Center are stroke patients with some paraplegics. Some drive back and forth from Swift Current everyday and there is also many from Alberta.
Thanks to all those who are reading the blog again after a loooong hiatus!
Today Matt was on the total gym and they had Matt do 70 lbs to start with and the owner wanted to see if Matt could do single leg modified squats (again at 45 degree angle) and Matt could it with his right leg better than his left with no weight (just his own body weight) and could even do a little with his left leg. It must wear him out because while he was explaining it to me he was yawning the whole time!!
Just to give a little background information on the Wellness Center. The method they use is the Dardzinski Method, which was created in the States. It is devoted to helping people with spinal cord injuries, recovering function below their level of injury. This is the first certified Project Walk facility in Canada and was started just over 1 year ago. It is a non-profit organization but do not have charitable status therefore they are unable to issue taxable receipts. However corporate sponsorship can be used as an advertising expense and are tax deductible. At each level of sponsorship you get advertising recognition. Silver $2000 (1 year), Gold $5000 (1 year)Platinum $10000 (over 3 years) Titanium $25000 (over 5 years). 75% will go directly to Matt's training fees and 25% to the running of the First Steps Wellness center. The cost to Matt for one hour is $70, so a sponsorship of $1000 would give Matt just over 10 hours of therapy. I really pray one day they will get charitable status so any one can give what they can. Matt said many of the patients attending the Wellness Center are stroke patients with some paraplegics. Some drive back and forth from Swift Current everyday and there is also many from Alberta.
Thanks to all those who are reading the blog again after a loooong hiatus!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Driving Back to Weekes
Everyone is driving back to Weekes after another tough day of rehab.
Matt said the rehab staff are very adament about pre-stretching, so that will take up 50% of his exercise regime.
First on the exercise agenda was a wall mount. The staff sat Matt up in front of the wall and helped him place his arms on the wall above his head. It is to encourage Matt to keep his posture straight. Then they got Matt to do circles with his arms (like we used to do warm-ups to a volleyball/basketball game. Spent 1/2 hour on the total gym and had Matt lift 50 lbs with his legs sitting at a 45 degree angle. So Matt had to also hold his own weight up. Matt found the weights too light, and they added another 20lbs. Matt felt he could have went up even more so next week they will start him on 100lbs!!
No bike today, as Matt's legs were completely spent .Matt says he feels good, physically and mentally. What a boost to his self esteem! I think Matt was very nervous prior to starting rehab. He is quite competitive when it comes to physical strength and was worried he wouldn't be able to do much. I think back to when we tried to stand Matt without the standing frame and it took 4 people and he could only stand for a few minutes. So all those exercises Matt does everyday really did help.
More good news to come!
On a side note, we sold our van! I am so sad in some ways. It has so many memories and loved so many of the features, especially now that winter has come and the truck just doesn't measure up on slippery roads. But glad to have the money in the bank.
Matt said the rehab staff are very adament about pre-stretching, so that will take up 50% of his exercise regime.
First on the exercise agenda was a wall mount. The staff sat Matt up in front of the wall and helped him place his arms on the wall above his head. It is to encourage Matt to keep his posture straight. Then they got Matt to do circles with his arms (like we used to do warm-ups to a volleyball/basketball game. Spent 1/2 hour on the total gym and had Matt lift 50 lbs with his legs sitting at a 45 degree angle. So Matt had to also hold his own weight up. Matt found the weights too light, and they added another 20lbs. Matt felt he could have went up even more so next week they will start him on 100lbs!!
No bike today, as Matt's legs were completely spent .Matt says he feels good, physically and mentally. What a boost to his self esteem! I think Matt was very nervous prior to starting rehab. He is quite competitive when it comes to physical strength and was worried he wouldn't be able to do much. I think back to when we tried to stand Matt without the standing frame and it took 4 people and he could only stand for a few minutes. So all those exercises Matt does everyday really did help.
More good news to come!
On a side note, we sold our van! I am so sad in some ways. It has so many memories and loved so many of the features, especially now that winter has come and the truck just doesn't measure up on slippery roads. But glad to have the money in the bank.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Mom arrived
Mom drove down to Regina to see Matt in action. She was a bit surprised to see so little equipment at the Wellness Center, but they seem to do well with what they have in place.
The first hour was spent just focusing on stretching. Mom really likes the people helping in rehab. The rehab staff (Andy and Owen)were so surprised on how much mobility Matt has with the severity of his injury. Surprisinly, the percentage rate of walking is 12% and The First Steps Wellness Center has already reached that goal, so we hope Matt will be bring the percentage rate up even more!
Matt stood today without a standing frame. He starts from a sitting position with some cushions under his bum. They place a transfer belt around his bum to help Matt stand, but Matt must use his own legs to get up and then must use his own legs to stand. The rehab staff are there to assist but really encourage him to do as much as he can on his own.
The staff can't believe how much core muscle Matt has. To test his strength, Matt sits on the plinth (table)and puts a 30% wedge behind his back with his legs dangling like he is reclined in chair. They made Matt sit up on his own. It took almost all his strength to do it and really struggled, but he did it!!!
They did some testing on Matt's left arm. Of course it wasn't great but they figure he has enough to work with. The shoulder is something they are working on to make it more functional. Long way to go with the arm, that is for sure.
With the anti-spasm medication, the therapists suggested Matt should decrease the amount of baclofen he is on, which must be down slowly.
I am trying to imagine Matt on a bike. Apparently they tried Matt on the the bike yesterday and he did really well. Today was not as good because he was so tired from the previous exercises.
The therapists also tried to get Matt on his knees and elbows but couldn't get him to stay in that position. They will try a different position tomorrow.
I am so excited about Matt giving rehab another try. It must be difficult to do (as we all know how difficult it is for the rest of us to get up and get exercise after a long hiatus!)Hopefully there is more in store, and lots more to write!
The first hour was spent just focusing on stretching. Mom really likes the people helping in rehab. The rehab staff (Andy and Owen)were so surprised on how much mobility Matt has with the severity of his injury. Surprisinly, the percentage rate of walking is 12% and The First Steps Wellness Center has already reached that goal, so we hope Matt will be bring the percentage rate up even more!
Matt stood today without a standing frame. He starts from a sitting position with some cushions under his bum. They place a transfer belt around his bum to help Matt stand, but Matt must use his own legs to get up and then must use his own legs to stand. The rehab staff are there to assist but really encourage him to do as much as he can on his own.
The staff can't believe how much core muscle Matt has. To test his strength, Matt sits on the plinth (table)and puts a 30% wedge behind his back with his legs dangling like he is reclined in chair. They made Matt sit up on his own. It took almost all his strength to do it and really struggled, but he did it!!!
They did some testing on Matt's left arm. Of course it wasn't great but they figure he has enough to work with. The shoulder is something they are working on to make it more functional. Long way to go with the arm, that is for sure.
With the anti-spasm medication, the therapists suggested Matt should decrease the amount of baclofen he is on, which must be down slowly.
I am trying to imagine Matt on a bike. Apparently they tried Matt on the the bike yesterday and he did really well. Today was not as good because he was so tired from the previous exercises.
The therapists also tried to get Matt on his knees and elbows but couldn't get him to stay in that position. They will try a different position tomorrow.
I am so excited about Matt giving rehab another try. It must be difficult to do (as we all know how difficult it is for the rest of us to get up and get exercise after a long hiatus!)Hopefully there is more in store, and lots more to write!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Matt's 1st Day
First off I wanted to correct my previous blog statement. It is not Project Walk, it is called First Steps Wellness Center. Also Matt, dad and Charity are staying at the Obasa Suites and it it quite nice. The only thing is there is only one bed and Matt gets it! Dad sleeps on the couch (likes it because it is leather) and Charity gets the mattress on the floor.
The first hour of rehab today they worked on Matt's legs and left arm, stretching and light exercises. The 2nd hour they transferred Matt onto what is called a total gym. It is set at a 45 degree angle so Matt's head is elevated. The therapist then asks Matt to do modified squats. So Matt bends his knees up and down. When Matt is fully extended his left knee locks in place (Matt is unable to move it) so the therapist needs to help him a bit.
The therapists then transfer Matt to the floor. There are no lifts in this place so the therapists need to do everything manually. Once Matt is on the floor, the therapist asked Matt to roll over onto his tummy. Matt hasn't done this for years so he had to figure out how to do it. He soon came up with the idea to swing his right leg over the left and the momentum of his hips will help him roll over and he did it!! We are so proud of you Matt!! Not bad for your first day.
The therapist then asked Matt to roll from tummy to back and Matt used his right arm to do this. It was much easier then back to tummy. I guess one must learn to roll before crawling, and then on to walking!!
With help, the therapist got Matt to kneel, placed a box in front of him and Matt's arms are placed on top. The therapist asked Matt to straighten his back to tuck in his gut. Matt was able to straighten up himself leaning on the box. The first few times were easy but it became harder after that. Just like any exercises, anytime we start a new one it is difficult!
So Matt's first day of rehab was quite exciting, and I think Matt surprised himself on what he could do. Matt was tired when he first finished, but feels good now. It feels so good to write about active therapy again, and hope everyone will keep tuned in!!
The first hour of rehab today they worked on Matt's legs and left arm, stretching and light exercises. The 2nd hour they transferred Matt onto what is called a total gym. It is set at a 45 degree angle so Matt's head is elevated. The therapist then asks Matt to do modified squats. So Matt bends his knees up and down. When Matt is fully extended his left knee locks in place (Matt is unable to move it) so the therapist needs to help him a bit.
The therapists then transfer Matt to the floor. There are no lifts in this place so the therapists need to do everything manually. Once Matt is on the floor, the therapist asked Matt to roll over onto his tummy. Matt hasn't done this for years so he had to figure out how to do it. He soon came up with the idea to swing his right leg over the left and the momentum of his hips will help him roll over and he did it!! We are so proud of you Matt!! Not bad for your first day.
The therapist then asked Matt to roll from tummy to back and Matt used his right arm to do this. It was much easier then back to tummy. I guess one must learn to roll before crawling, and then on to walking!!
With help, the therapist got Matt to kneel, placed a box in front of him and Matt's arms are placed on top. The therapist asked Matt to straighten his back to tuck in his gut. Matt was able to straighten up himself leaning on the box. The first few times were easy but it became harder after that. Just like any exercises, anytime we start a new one it is difficult!
So Matt's first day of rehab was quite exciting, and I think Matt surprised himself on what he could do. Matt was tired when he first finished, but feels good now. It feels so good to write about active therapy again, and hope everyone will keep tuned in!!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Loooong Time!
We had decided to stop writing in Matt's blog as things were too busy and I couldn't keep up. However to get everyone up to date, Matt will write on facebook as well.
Matt had bought a new Ford F150 Ecoboost to pull his camper and we managed to transfer him into the front seat. It was so great to see him out of his wheelchair, sitting in the front seat like he did prior to his injury.
We had a great reunion in Weekes and loved to see all the family. I am so thankful for the terrific bunch we have and love them all to pieces! We always have such a blast.
Matt has started in a Project Walk program in Regina. It has been a long time coming and Matt was pretty nervous. However today they did an assessment to see what they would work on and already are making recommendations. Matt will attend 4 hours a day, 5 days a week with intensive therapy specifically for spinal cord injuries. Dad and Matt's new caregiver Charity are with him. Mom is in Weekes for another week and when I called her to see how things were, she commented that this is the first time in over 4 years she has had the house to herself! It was so quiet she kept hearing noises and had a hard time sleeping.
We are sure missing them here in Red Deer, and the girls keep asking where grandma is. Everytime we drive into town Shaunie wants to go to Uncle Matt's to watch treehouse!
We received our first snowfall Nov. 1 but have very little on the ground. Still having plus weather after a fantastic fall. It is bound to get cold soon though, and we are getting ready for the cold. Winter tires, heated dog house and heated water bowl for Rosco, winter jackets and pants, etc. Back to overheating in the vehicle and freezing when the kids get out on the playground at school. Oh well.
Hope a few people will start to read the blog again. Thanks to all who continue to show interest in Matt's progress.
Matt had bought a new Ford F150 Ecoboost to pull his camper and we managed to transfer him into the front seat. It was so great to see him out of his wheelchair, sitting in the front seat like he did prior to his injury.
We had a great reunion in Weekes and loved to see all the family. I am so thankful for the terrific bunch we have and love them all to pieces! We always have such a blast.
Matt has started in a Project Walk program in Regina. It has been a long time coming and Matt was pretty nervous. However today they did an assessment to see what they would work on and already are making recommendations. Matt will attend 4 hours a day, 5 days a week with intensive therapy specifically for spinal cord injuries. Dad and Matt's new caregiver Charity are with him. Mom is in Weekes for another week and when I called her to see how things were, she commented that this is the first time in over 4 years she has had the house to herself! It was so quiet she kept hearing noises and had a hard time sleeping.
We are sure missing them here in Red Deer, and the girls keep asking where grandma is. Everytime we drive into town Shaunie wants to go to Uncle Matt's to watch treehouse!
We received our first snowfall Nov. 1 but have very little on the ground. Still having plus weather after a fantastic fall. It is bound to get cold soon though, and we are getting ready for the cold. Winter tires, heated dog house and heated water bowl for Rosco, winter jackets and pants, etc. Back to overheating in the vehicle and freezing when the kids get out on the playground at school. Oh well.
Hope a few people will start to read the blog again. Thanks to all who continue to show interest in Matt's progress.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
No New House... Yet
Well, the offer for the house didn't work, the other bidder must have put more in. So we are off tonight to look at a house in Penhold that mom found in the paper. It is wheelchair accesible and was built in 2001. Dad and I did some errands today together and he would rather be in Penhold than Red Deer. Hard to get used to a big city.
Dad arrived last Friday and does he ever look good! Has been on the Remacaid for sometime now and it has been fantastic for him. He is now over 180 lbs, which is a far cry from the 130 lbs he was last year. Everyone else wants to lose wt and he wants to gain! Jacki and the kids, and Nolan came for the long weekend and we has such great weather. On Saturday had an outdoor barbeque and did lots of landscaping. My back is still sore! Unfortunately we were so busy I didn't get the garden in and now it has rained solid since Monday.
We had a traumatic Thursday last week. We are not sure exactly what happened but Molly and Rosco were in the kennel outside together and Rosco did something to Molly. We had to put Molly down. She was just laying there with a bite wound to the head and barely breathing. By the time we got her to the vet she needed to be intubated and the vet told us she was in really bad shape. We decided to euthanize her instead of watching her suffer. The vets take on the whole thing was that Rosco may have tried to stop Molly from bugging her by pressing on her neck and damaged her trachea. Then when Molly started acting weird Rosco bit her on the head. The bite marks were very superficial and no bones were broken, and hardly any blood. But anyway, we are missing our Molly terribly. That is why you should never get house pets, it hurts too much when they are gone. The girls saw Molly like that and had to go to the vets with me. Poor things. Jonmarie left a note saying "bye Molly Wolly" and it just about broke my heart. However they did perk up a bit when I got a hamster the next day to take their minds of their Molly. Her name is Pumpkin Pie and is quite interesting for a hamster.
Dad arrived last Friday and does he ever look good! Has been on the Remacaid for sometime now and it has been fantastic for him. He is now over 180 lbs, which is a far cry from the 130 lbs he was last year. Everyone else wants to lose wt and he wants to gain! Jacki and the kids, and Nolan came for the long weekend and we has such great weather. On Saturday had an outdoor barbeque and did lots of landscaping. My back is still sore! Unfortunately we were so busy I didn't get the garden in and now it has rained solid since Monday.
We had a traumatic Thursday last week. We are not sure exactly what happened but Molly and Rosco were in the kennel outside together and Rosco did something to Molly. We had to put Molly down. She was just laying there with a bite wound to the head and barely breathing. By the time we got her to the vet she needed to be intubated and the vet told us she was in really bad shape. We decided to euthanize her instead of watching her suffer. The vets take on the whole thing was that Rosco may have tried to stop Molly from bugging her by pressing on her neck and damaged her trachea. Then when Molly started acting weird Rosco bit her on the head. The bite marks were very superficial and no bones were broken, and hardly any blood. But anyway, we are missing our Molly terribly. That is why you should never get house pets, it hurts too much when they are gone. The girls saw Molly like that and had to go to the vets with me. Poor things. Jonmarie left a note saying "bye Molly Wolly" and it just about broke my heart. However they did perk up a bit when I got a hamster the next day to take their minds of their Molly. Her name is Pumpkin Pie and is quite interesting for a hamster.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Looked at a House
Matt, mom, and I looked at a wheelchair accessible house in Red Deer on Sunday. It is an older house, 1976, however it was almost completely redone to accomodate someone in a wheelchair. We had actually been looking at a truck for mom to buy when I happened to mention what a nice area it was and I knew that a wheelchair accessible house was right around the block. And wouldn't you know it was for sale! So phoned a relator friend of mine and he was able to show us around. It is a big yard with a large detached garage. The neighbors told us that it was modified about 10 years ago for an MS patient. Then it was sold in 2005 to a hsband and wife, the husband having suffered from a stroke. When he passed away in 2009, she remained in the house until she decided it was too big for her. The main floor is 1500 square feet and the basement is all done with 3 big bedrooms. Matt would be able to get into his room, bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and TV room. Lots of windows.
Dad is coming up this weekend to maybe take a peek. It would be alot better that paying rent. However still have to put an offer and then get an inspection done. So maybe, maybe not. We will see!
Dad is coming up this weekend to maybe take a peek. It would be alot better that paying rent. However still have to put an offer and then get an inspection done. So maybe, maybe not. We will see!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day
Wishing everyone a fantastic Mother's Day. Jonmarie, Shaunie and I took mom out to Moxie's for supper. Jonmarie and Shaunie have been quite sick so have been on antibiotics. I think it affects them emotionally because it was a difficult supper! It was like having 2 two year olds! Anyway, mom and I enjoyed the combo platter and completely ruined her diet. Matt has been also suffering from the flu and didn't feel like coming so he stayed at home.
Yesterday was Bobby's birthday party and we went to laser tag. The kids loved it. We went back to Jacki and Gary's and they live in such a great cul-de-sac, that Jonmarie hated having to leave. All the kids from the street were out playing street hockey or riding their bikes. Bobby had received a styrofoam plane for a present and the kids got their markers together and drew pictures all over it. Shaunie was ready to go home and be with her daddy. While we were at the party mom went to a fellow collegues wedding and didn't come home until quite late. But she had a good time.
Matt had an infection in his right great toe, and it was so sore he was unable to put his shoe on, but John started him on some meds which really helped. I just wish he felt better. Matt didn't even want bacon for lunch and that is not like him at all. You know you are sick when you can't eat bacon!
Thanking God for mother's everywhere and all life's lessons they teach us. Also to our kids that make it worthwhile!
Yesterday was Bobby's birthday party and we went to laser tag. The kids loved it. We went back to Jacki and Gary's and they live in such a great cul-de-sac, that Jonmarie hated having to leave. All the kids from the street were out playing street hockey or riding their bikes. Bobby had received a styrofoam plane for a present and the kids got their markers together and drew pictures all over it. Shaunie was ready to go home and be with her daddy. While we were at the party mom went to a fellow collegues wedding and didn't come home until quite late. But she had a good time.
Matt had an infection in his right great toe, and it was so sore he was unable to put his shoe on, but John started him on some meds which really helped. I just wish he felt better. Matt didn't even want bacon for lunch and that is not like him at all. You know you are sick when you can't eat bacon!
Thanking God for mother's everywhere and all life's lessons they teach us. Also to our kids that make it worthwhile!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Driving Assessment
Matt, Airene and myself went to Edmonton for Matt's driving assessment at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Center on Wednesday. It was quite interesting. First the occupational therapist determines the level of movement and strength Matt has. She made him to numerous movements with his right hand and arm and was very impressed with his right side and will need little to no modification for the steering wheel. However it is important for Matt to be able to move his left more because that is the side used to control the gas and brake. So a few suggestions for that,such as Botox in the tricep of the left arm (when he straightens his arm, he can't bend it again), private physiotherapist that can work specifically with the muscle groups needed, and going to Edmonton's Shopper's Home Health Center to see what other modification instruments they have. If this doesn't work, then we would need to look into getting a electronic machine which runs at $80,000 (without the vehicle!). There is little to no funding available for this unless it is for driving to and from work. Does not include going to school. Matt is going to contact Great West Life to see if they can help at all. However Matt was extremely sore in his left arm after the assessment so he would have to do serious work outs to strengthen it enough to be able to drive for more than 2 feet! So some things to think about.
They also did an assessment on hand eye coordination and Matt scored mid to high on the non disabled scale, so that was definitely no problem. He needed to draw with a pencil from 1 to A, 2 to B, 3 to C and so on. The numbers and letters were all mixed up and I couldn't remember which number went with what letter! But Matt did it in 67 secs, needed to get under 160 secs! I would have failed!
After the assessment we went to Ikea for some things. Ended up being there for over 1 1/2 hours because Matt kept getting us lost! And of course the more lost he became the faster he drove his wheelchair. Airene and I were running to keep up!! But overall it was a great day, but tiring. Matt is so much fun to travel with because he is so funny. He gets that from me!! I think!
Today the girls are going with Grandma and Matt to Jacki and Gary's and John and I are going to Banff for a conference. So everyone one have a Blessed Easter holiday and thank God for all your blessings!
They also did an assessment on hand eye coordination and Matt scored mid to high on the non disabled scale, so that was definitely no problem. He needed to draw with a pencil from 1 to A, 2 to B, 3 to C and so on. The numbers and letters were all mixed up and I couldn't remember which number went with what letter! But Matt did it in 67 secs, needed to get under 160 secs! I would have failed!
After the assessment we went to Ikea for some things. Ended up being there for over 1 1/2 hours because Matt kept getting us lost! And of course the more lost he became the faster he drove his wheelchair. Airene and I were running to keep up!! But overall it was a great day, but tiring. Matt is so much fun to travel with because he is so funny. He gets that from me!! I think!
Today the girls are going with Grandma and Matt to Jacki and Gary's and John and I are going to Banff for a conference. So everyone one have a Blessed Easter holiday and thank God for all your blessings!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Matthew Has Been Babysitting
The weather has not cooperated this week, with heavy snowfall and slushy, icy conditions. However last week Friday I took Matt to Bower Mall for some shopping. Of course the first thing he wanted to do was eat! So off to the food court. Then we found some accessories for his phone and I finally convinced him to buy dressier black shoes for Devin's wedding this summer and some new shirts. So funny to shop with him. He is good for the first 1/2 hour and then that was it.
Saturday they came over for supper and to watch the movie "Tangled". We laughed so hard, it was such a good movie. We played a game of dice which I kicked butt (I think).
On Monday I took Jonmarie to taekwondo and then dropped the girls off at Matt's while Mom and I went to do some clothes shopping. All her clothes are so baggy on her so I made her by a size 10 pant. Yeah!! She had so many compliments on her new slimmer look. So Matt had to get Shaunie to read her books to him. She said she didn't want to and Matt told her"I didn't ask if you wanted to, I am telling you too". So funny how she listens to him.
Then on Thursday Mom came to the fundraiser for the Children Service Center and Matt had to babysit again, because Airene had to leave. So he was trying to get them ready for bed and Shaunie proceeds to say she was hungry and wanted a peanut butter sandwich. The peanut butter was too high so he opened the fridge and told her she would have to eat some Shake and Bake chicken, which she said "I like chicken"and Matt told her how to warm it up in the microwave. I think he likes to have some responsiblilty and the girls listen to him and help when he needs it.
Hope everyone is surving this long winter and prayers that it will end soon! Now I am off to make Shaunie clean her room. Jonmarie is shopping for rugby supplies with her dad, she starts the end of April!
Saturday they came over for supper and to watch the movie "Tangled". We laughed so hard, it was such a good movie. We played a game of dice which I kicked butt (I think).
On Monday I took Jonmarie to taekwondo and then dropped the girls off at Matt's while Mom and I went to do some clothes shopping. All her clothes are so baggy on her so I made her by a size 10 pant. Yeah!! She had so many compliments on her new slimmer look. So Matt had to get Shaunie to read her books to him. She said she didn't want to and Matt told her"I didn't ask if you wanted to, I am telling you too". So funny how she listens to him.
Then on Thursday Mom came to the fundraiser for the Children Service Center and Matt had to babysit again, because Airene had to leave. So he was trying to get them ready for bed and Shaunie proceeds to say she was hungry and wanted a peanut butter sandwich. The peanut butter was too high so he opened the fridge and told her she would have to eat some Shake and Bake chicken, which she said "I like chicken"and Matt told her how to warm it up in the microwave. I think he likes to have some responsiblilty and the girls listen to him and help when he needs it.
Hope everyone is surving this long winter and prayers that it will end soon! Now I am off to make Shaunie clean her room. Jonmarie is shopping for rugby supplies with her dad, she starts the end of April!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Back in Red Deer
Mom and Matt arrived safe and sound on Sunday back in Red Deer. Mom had worked 5 shifts while she was home. Crazy women! Now back to work at the school. The girls sure missed their grandma at school on Monday. They returned back to school after having one week off for spring break.
John had his head shaved this weekend to raise money for cancer. Shaunie was horrified, just sat on the couch with big tears rolling down her face and saying "You don't look like my daddy anymore". Jonmarie expected it to be worse and spent most of the day trying to rub the top of his head! She said it felt so cool.
We are so enjoying the warm weather. Still lots of snow but the streets are bare which helps alot. Now Matt isn't yelling from the back of the van that his brains are getting scrambled from riding on icy hard patches that almost take your head off. He looked like one of those bobble heads that people put on their dashboards.
Thanking God for the sunny day and the warm weather. I think He gives us terrible weather just so we appreciate the warm weather when it does come.
John had his head shaved this weekend to raise money for cancer. Shaunie was horrified, just sat on the couch with big tears rolling down her face and saying "You don't look like my daddy anymore". Jonmarie expected it to be worse and spent most of the day trying to rub the top of his head! She said it felt so cool.
We are so enjoying the warm weather. Still lots of snow but the streets are bare which helps alot. Now Matt isn't yelling from the back of the van that his brains are getting scrambled from riding on icy hard patches that almost take your head off. He looked like one of those bobble heads that people put on their dashboards.
Thanking God for the sunny day and the warm weather. I think He gives us terrible weather just so we appreciate the warm weather when it does come.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
In Weekes
Mom and Matt travelled to Weekes last Friday and mom has worked a few days at the nursing home. Matt has enjoyed playing cards with the guys at the Golden Age and last night went for wings at Weekes Hotel. However he went too early and there was no room for him so he was going back later in the evening. Must give him a call and see how it went.
Last week mom was busy with parent teacher interviews and Matt had to stay by himself for a few hours. Airene had everything set up for him, or so she thought. No sooner had she left for the bus when Matt needed to catheterize himself and realized he did not have what he needed. The urine bottle was in the tub soaking and he could not reach it. So he found a broom handle and then proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes trying to get the broom handle in the neck of the bottle so he could get it out of the tub. Through perserverance and I am sure a few choice thoughts Matt finally succeeded in retrieving the bottle. He was very proud of himself, and so were we.
Last week was a busy week. Me and the girls went to West Edmonton Mall for one night to see Shauna, Dale and Jada. We spent a lot of time at the water park and also seen the seal show and the underwater caverns. It was great. Shuana and Dale then came to our house on Thursday night and ended up babysitting while I took Jonmarie to piano lessons and then had parent teacher interviews! They were the best babysitters ever! Dale even cleaned up my kitchen. Shauna then came with me to watch Jonmarie test for her yellow belt in Taekwondo and she again did great. Dale babysat Shaunie again! Thanks Dale!
This week the kids our off for the spring break and we enjoyed time with Jacki and the kids at Calgary Zoo. It was +10 and we were there for 5 hours! Amy fell asleep in the parking lot! I am going to miss them when they return to school next week.
Thank goodness for a bit of warmer weather and hope the snow disappears by Easter!
Last week mom was busy with parent teacher interviews and Matt had to stay by himself for a few hours. Airene had everything set up for him, or so she thought. No sooner had she left for the bus when Matt needed to catheterize himself and realized he did not have what he needed. The urine bottle was in the tub soaking and he could not reach it. So he found a broom handle and then proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes trying to get the broom handle in the neck of the bottle so he could get it out of the tub. Through perserverance and I am sure a few choice thoughts Matt finally succeeded in retrieving the bottle. He was very proud of himself, and so were we.
Last week was a busy week. Me and the girls went to West Edmonton Mall for one night to see Shauna, Dale and Jada. We spent a lot of time at the water park and also seen the seal show and the underwater caverns. It was great. Shuana and Dale then came to our house on Thursday night and ended up babysitting while I took Jonmarie to piano lessons and then had parent teacher interviews! They were the best babysitters ever! Dale even cleaned up my kitchen. Shauna then came with me to watch Jonmarie test for her yellow belt in Taekwondo and she again did great. Dale babysat Shaunie again! Thanks Dale!
This week the kids our off for the spring break and we enjoyed time with Jacki and the kids at Calgary Zoo. It was +10 and we were there for 5 hours! Amy fell asleep in the parking lot! I am going to miss them when they return to school next week.
Thank goodness for a bit of warmer weather and hope the snow disappears by Easter!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spring is on its Way
Well we had a few days of + weather and it has been great. The girls have been dragging their bikes down the lane and then ride on the paved road in front of our house. It was so funny to watch Shaunie get off her bike and "tighten" her bolts on her bike if she feels it isn't riding right. She fell off the bike yesterday and started to kick at it and say "bad bike" then proceeded to jump on the road and say"bad road". Doesn't quite realize they have no feelings and the road and bike didn't mean to make her fall off.
We had a great weekend with Aunty Karen and Aunty Sandy. They went shopping and found some great deals at Sears. They also made a trip up to Edmonton to visit Aunty Evelyn. She sure misses Uncle Hughie but is still smart as a whip. We also watched the Brier and played cards. John took some videos of the women dancing and mom shaking her bootie to the piano. I so wanted to put the video on the blog however I prefer to keep my life intact! They say you can't pick your family and thank goodness for that! I couldn't have picked a better one. Thanks for all the laughs. Matt was so funny, trying to get a word in edgewise with all those women. John was smart and didn't say anything, just videotaped the action.
Matt saw the dermatologist and his acne has improved so much. He can decrease the antibiotics and hopefully stop it all together by the summer. Which is great because the antibiotics make Matt very photosensitive and he will burn very easily in the sun.
In response the comment on the blog about the battery, I couldn't say. It was a battery for the Dodge Sprinter from the Dodge dealer so not sure what kind it is. I should have looked.
We had a great weekend with Aunty Karen and Aunty Sandy. They went shopping and found some great deals at Sears. They also made a trip up to Edmonton to visit Aunty Evelyn. She sure misses Uncle Hughie but is still smart as a whip. We also watched the Brier and played cards. John took some videos of the women dancing and mom shaking her bootie to the piano. I so wanted to put the video on the blog however I prefer to keep my life intact! They say you can't pick your family and thank goodness for that! I couldn't have picked a better one. Thanks for all the laughs. Matt was so funny, trying to get a word in edgewise with all those women. John was smart and didn't say anything, just videotaped the action.
Matt saw the dermatologist and his acne has improved so much. He can decrease the antibiotics and hopefully stop it all together by the summer. Which is great because the antibiotics make Matt very photosensitive and he will burn very easily in the sun.
In response the comment on the blog about the battery, I couldn't say. It was a battery for the Dodge Sprinter from the Dodge dealer so not sure what kind it is. I should have looked.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
New Battery
Today it actually warmed up enough for mom and I to try and attempt to put in Matt's new battery. I had never done this before and either had mom. Anyone who has every worked with mom knows it can be a bit of a challenge. When she opened the hood and tried one tool, which didn't work she commented that this would never work. I told her only positive thoughts, thank you! It took us over 1/2 hour and the most difficult part was trying to get the battery out. It turned out it was frozen into place and once we figured that out, it was smooth sailing. However I did say a quick prayer when mom tried to start it and it worked! The prayer and the van. Might be just a little thing but we were quite proud of ourselves. We noticed the van even heated up much quicker too. So now I believe we will have no more problems with starting the van.
Sorry, made an error in previous blog. The aunties are coming on Thursday to party with mom,,,, I mean visit with mom. Poor Matt, stuck in a house with the giggling Relitz girls will be a test of his inner strength. I will rescue him once in a while but I will probably get sucked into the vortex and Matt will be in an even worse estrogen dominated household. So prayers for Matt and his weekend with the women (Jacki and the kids are coming up on Saturday, so there will at least be Bobby and Anthony!).
Sorry, made an error in previous blog. The aunties are coming on Thursday to party with mom,,,, I mean visit with mom. Poor Matt, stuck in a house with the giggling Relitz girls will be a test of his inner strength. I will rescue him once in a while but I will probably get sucked into the vortex and Matt will be in an even worse estrogen dominated household. So prayers for Matt and his weekend with the women (Jacki and the kids are coming up on Saturday, so there will at least be Bobby and Anthony!).
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Winter, winter go away!!
Even the most hardy Canadian has their breaking point! My goodness, that wind is so bitter, it makes even your bones cold!
Last week I took Matt to Tony Roma's and the wings sure make the cold more tolerable. They were so good, Matt and I shared another batch. Unfortunately we had to wait for a boost from CAA before we could go. They know Matt's house by heart. So Matt decided to buy a new battery so we did, however we still have to put it in. We are waiting for it to warm up a little.
Then on Friday the girls had no school so we decided to go to the cheap matinee at Carnival cinema. Matt and Airene went to the Green Hornet and Jonmarie, Shaunie and I went to Megamind. Ours was so boring that I fell asleep. Matt really enjoyed his movie.
I helped Matt stand on Wednesday and again he did really well. It makes a difference if he can watch TV at the same time.
Matt's bed is not working right now. The bed itself moves up and down and the feet too, but the head of the bed is not working. So unfortunately mom has to get up with Matt in the middle of the night again to help him turn and "other things". But hopefully the new part will be here soon, especially before the Auntie's get here! Aunty Karen and Aunty Sandy should be arriving sometime on Friday. I think Aunty Margaret is thinking about it too! Those Relitz girls don't want to miss anything.
So pray for warmer weather and clear driving conditions.
Last week I took Matt to Tony Roma's and the wings sure make the cold more tolerable. They were so good, Matt and I shared another batch. Unfortunately we had to wait for a boost from CAA before we could go. They know Matt's house by heart. So Matt decided to buy a new battery so we did, however we still have to put it in. We are waiting for it to warm up a little.
Then on Friday the girls had no school so we decided to go to the cheap matinee at Carnival cinema. Matt and Airene went to the Green Hornet and Jonmarie, Shaunie and I went to Megamind. Ours was so boring that I fell asleep. Matt really enjoyed his movie.
I helped Matt stand on Wednesday and again he did really well. It makes a difference if he can watch TV at the same time.
Matt's bed is not working right now. The bed itself moves up and down and the feet too, but the head of the bed is not working. So unfortunately mom has to get up with Matt in the middle of the night again to help him turn and "other things". But hopefully the new part will be here soon, especially before the Auntie's get here! Aunty Karen and Aunty Sandy should be arriving sometime on Friday. I think Aunty Margaret is thinking about it too! Those Relitz girls don't want to miss anything.
So pray for warmer weather and clear driving conditions.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Happy Early Birthday Matt!
Well last year for Matt's birthday Canada won the Gold medal in hockey at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and this year we watched a fantastic, nail biter game between Sask. and Team Canada for the Scotties Championship and Sask won on a miss by Jennifer Jones. Mom couldn't even watch the game with us, she was downstairs on her new treadmill. There is a TV down there but she kept turning it to another channel when the pressure got to be too much. In the final end, Matt and I did a Shaunie and hid behind the wall and kept sticking our heads out and yelling at the TV "Sweep!!".
I don't know if anyone remembers Shaunie and Jada's birthday at Aunty Karen's 2 years ago when Shaunie wouldn't hit the Pinata in the garage but would keep opening the door and yelling "Hit It!!" to the next kid in line before slamming the door shut again.
So next year we are going to watch 2 Sask. teams at the Scott's here in Red Deer. We have already bought our tickets. So excited, however mom will probably spend her time in the bathroom!
Yesterday we went to the bowing alley with Jacki, Gary and the kids, Matt and mom, and our gang. We had a great time and Matt did pretty well. We had the sides up to prevent gutter balls and Matt had a special contraption that he can roll the ball down. Bobby was his big helper. Shaunie lost interest after one game but did enjoy playing when she hit the pins. She just kept her hands over her ears the whole time. Amy had never played before and I swear she looked like she had won an Academy Award whenever she knocked any balls down. John hated it because most of the women there he had delivered their babies. Jacki cheated as usual (I am not sure how but she did!) and mom and I should have stayed home. Bobby made sure that when the balls came out for the ball return that an equal number of balls went to each side and Jonmarie was already the little adult, getting upset that she didn't win but trying to do it with dignity. Anthony just bawled and Gary spent most of the time trying to pacify him.
Matt has been doing well, no major illnesses. Last week mom said he stood for 45 minutes using the standing frame and watching a show. I know he is excited to take his driver's which is coming up in April (I think). And they are already talking about camping too.
Dad has started a new medication and is feeling 100% better. It is Remicaid and it is an IV infusion. We are hoping in a few months all the other meds can be removed.
We received some news from John's son Kennie, who is living in Christchurch New Zealand and he thankfully was in South Africa for a visit, but their house was damaged. He was supposed to fly back last Thursday but now is flying next Saturday. The airport was heavily damaged so lots to be done there. Kennie's mom and husband had just left a movie theater when the quake hit and thank goodness because it collapsed. We don't think about it in the cold North, and we are thinking of those who have lost everything.
So Birthday wishes to you, Matt and hope things keep getting brighter.
I don't know if anyone remembers Shaunie and Jada's birthday at Aunty Karen's 2 years ago when Shaunie wouldn't hit the Pinata in the garage but would keep opening the door and yelling "Hit It!!" to the next kid in line before slamming the door shut again.
So next year we are going to watch 2 Sask. teams at the Scott's here in Red Deer. We have already bought our tickets. So excited, however mom will probably spend her time in the bathroom!
Yesterday we went to the bowing alley with Jacki, Gary and the kids, Matt and mom, and our gang. We had a great time and Matt did pretty well. We had the sides up to prevent gutter balls and Matt had a special contraption that he can roll the ball down. Bobby was his big helper. Shaunie lost interest after one game but did enjoy playing when she hit the pins. She just kept her hands over her ears the whole time. Amy had never played before and I swear she looked like she had won an Academy Award whenever she knocked any balls down. John hated it because most of the women there he had delivered their babies. Jacki cheated as usual (I am not sure how but she did!) and mom and I should have stayed home. Bobby made sure that when the balls came out for the ball return that an equal number of balls went to each side and Jonmarie was already the little adult, getting upset that she didn't win but trying to do it with dignity. Anthony just bawled and Gary spent most of the time trying to pacify him.
Matt has been doing well, no major illnesses. Last week mom said he stood for 45 minutes using the standing frame and watching a show. I know he is excited to take his driver's which is coming up in April (I think). And they are already talking about camping too.
Dad has started a new medication and is feeling 100% better. It is Remicaid and it is an IV infusion. We are hoping in a few months all the other meds can be removed.
We received some news from John's son Kennie, who is living in Christchurch New Zealand and he thankfully was in South Africa for a visit, but their house was damaged. He was supposed to fly back last Thursday but now is flying next Saturday. The airport was heavily damaged so lots to be done there. Kennie's mom and husband had just left a movie theater when the quake hit and thank goodness because it collapsed. We don't think about it in the cold North, and we are thinking of those who have lost everything.
So Birthday wishes to you, Matt and hope things keep getting brighter.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day!
Never go for a 5 course meal at 8 pm because you suffer all night! Always tastes so good at first but when you can't get out of your seat after the meal because your stomach is hitting the table, learn to say no! John and I went for supper and Grandma and Uncle Matt babysat the girls. The girls loved it because they get to watch TV at Grandma's.
Matt and mom were in Calgary a few weekends ago to watch the Superbowl. Nolan and Matt went to a sports bar to watch some fighting on the the big screen, I think it was that ultimate fighting were there are very little rules.
Matt's MRI results were unchanged since the last time he had one done. Yesterday when I dropped the girls off he was doing his standing exercises and it is so good to see him standing at his full 6 foot 7 inchs. I continue to see small improvements in his posture and longer standing periods. Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer". Thanking the Lord for His continued presence.
Matt has stopped going to the chiropractor for awhile and see how his shoulder is. I am not with him all the time and he very seldom complains so unsure how he is feeling. They came for supper on Saturday and we played some yahtzee. Mom was so mad when I rolled 3 yahtzee's in one game. Actually I don't think she was upset about the yahtzee's as much as the gloating! Or maybe it was the happy dance! Either was she is a poor loser and I am an excellent gracious winner! Matt just laughs at the two of us.
Jonmarie has received her white belt in taekwondoe. She had to break a piece of plywood in half and didn't feel she could do it. Master Rim told her to yell "focus" and "confidence" then strike the board. She broke it the first time and put on such a brave face but when she came to show me the board, her hand was bleeding a bit.
Shaunie continues to go to school full time but is suffering from more anxiety than usual so has gone back to sucking her thumb which she hasn't done since Christmas. She doesn't like school anymore and realizes that she can't keep up academically with the other students. The school as been so good but it is hard to see her when the fear hits. The number one emotion in autism is fear. Prayers for her please, and us too, to know when to intervene and when to hold back.
Matt and mom were in Calgary a few weekends ago to watch the Superbowl. Nolan and Matt went to a sports bar to watch some fighting on the the big screen, I think it was that ultimate fighting were there are very little rules.
Matt's MRI results were unchanged since the last time he had one done. Yesterday when I dropped the girls off he was doing his standing exercises and it is so good to see him standing at his full 6 foot 7 inchs. I continue to see small improvements in his posture and longer standing periods. Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer". Thanking the Lord for His continued presence.
Matt has stopped going to the chiropractor for awhile and see how his shoulder is. I am not with him all the time and he very seldom complains so unsure how he is feeling. They came for supper on Saturday and we played some yahtzee. Mom was so mad when I rolled 3 yahtzee's in one game. Actually I don't think she was upset about the yahtzee's as much as the gloating! Or maybe it was the happy dance! Either was she is a poor loser and I am an excellent gracious winner! Matt just laughs at the two of us.
Jonmarie has received her white belt in taekwondoe. She had to break a piece of plywood in half and didn't feel she could do it. Master Rim told her to yell "focus" and "confidence" then strike the board. She broke it the first time and put on such a brave face but when she came to show me the board, her hand was bleeding a bit.
Shaunie continues to go to school full time but is suffering from more anxiety than usual so has gone back to sucking her thumb which she hasn't done since Christmas. She doesn't like school anymore and realizes that she can't keep up academically with the other students. The school as been so good but it is hard to see her when the fear hits. The number one emotion in autism is fear. Prayers for her please, and us too, to know when to intervene and when to hold back.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Crazy January Weather
Not sure what to expect anymore. We had a great week of single minus digits and then plus 8 weather. They were able to get some of the streets cleaned thank goodness. When Matt sits in his van and I happened to be driving behind him one day, he looked like a bobble doll when mom hit those bumps!
Now it is -42 with the windchill and all night we could hear the house cracking and groaning. The previous cold snap had caused the water hose in John's toureg to burst and he finally got it back from the shop. So today he refused to take it, so worried it would do the same thing. So traded vehicles, because my Toyota is the best!
Loving today, as the kids have a day off and they are right now folding clothes and then will start on the dishwasher! So I have time to update Matt's blog.
I stayed overnight at mom's on Saturday because Matt had an MRI appt 8 am Sunday. Matt and I had a great game of trivia pursuit and I was down by 4 pies and came back to almost winning (Matt cheated!). Good thing I went with for the MRI as they did not have much help, they had one guy working the machine. It took some maneuvering but Matt has such good upper body strength that when we transfer him, he holds his body upright instead of being "floppy". I had to take Shaunie and Jonmarie too, as John was on call but they are great as long as we have fully charged their nintendo's!
Mom is tired of getting up with Matt at night to help him "pass water" that now she makes him do it himself with the catheter. It takes some skill but Matt is getting the hang of it, as the left hand refuses to work.
I had received a free gym membership to Women's Only fitness for 6 months and I gave it to mom before Christmas. She finally went the other day and really enjoyed it. She had purchased a treadmill from Sears but they sent the wrong one, and not only that half the parts were missing. When she phoned, they were going to send out a repair man and they mom would have to pay the 65 dollar charge! She was not happy at all and finally convinced them to just come pick and up and forget the whole thing!
Matt just had his hair cut and is looking not too shabby around the edges.
Hope everyone is managing the lovely weather and stay warm!
Now it is -42 with the windchill and all night we could hear the house cracking and groaning. The previous cold snap had caused the water hose in John's toureg to burst and he finally got it back from the shop. So today he refused to take it, so worried it would do the same thing. So traded vehicles, because my Toyota is the best!
Loving today, as the kids have a day off and they are right now folding clothes and then will start on the dishwasher! So I have time to update Matt's blog.
I stayed overnight at mom's on Saturday because Matt had an MRI appt 8 am Sunday. Matt and I had a great game of trivia pursuit and I was down by 4 pies and came back to almost winning (Matt cheated!). Good thing I went with for the MRI as they did not have much help, they had one guy working the machine. It took some maneuvering but Matt has such good upper body strength that when we transfer him, he holds his body upright instead of being "floppy". I had to take Shaunie and Jonmarie too, as John was on call but they are great as long as we have fully charged their nintendo's!
Mom is tired of getting up with Matt at night to help him "pass water" that now she makes him do it himself with the catheter. It takes some skill but Matt is getting the hang of it, as the left hand refuses to work.
I had received a free gym membership to Women's Only fitness for 6 months and I gave it to mom before Christmas. She finally went the other day and really enjoyed it. She had purchased a treadmill from Sears but they sent the wrong one, and not only that half the parts were missing. When she phoned, they were going to send out a repair man and they mom would have to pay the 65 dollar charge! She was not happy at all and finally convinced them to just come pick and up and forget the whole thing!
Matt just had his hair cut and is looking not too shabby around the edges.
Hope everyone is managing the lovely weather and stay warm!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Van trouble Again
Wow, this cold weather has sure taken it's toll on Matt's battery in his van. We again had to have CMA come and boost the battery. It was completely dead. They have checked the battery and always say it is fine however it feels like something in that van is drawing power when it is not running.
Thank goodness the weather is supposed to improve on Tuesday. Matt has been housebound for most of the week. He finds it just too cold to go out, even when the van is running right. That is one thing that is getting worse, his ability to keep warm in the cold. I feel the same way! Winter was fun as a kid, not so much anymore. However we have been going outside everyday since the huge snowfall we had a few days ago and last weekend and the kids love it! John has been out with the tractor moving snow around and they sit right where he is going to dump it and get a huge load of snow on their heads. Weird kids.
John and I were lucky enough to go to an Autistic conference in Edmonton. We barely made it with the treacherous weather on Wednesday and didn't do so well coming back on Friday either. But we were glad to go and get insight into the autistic person's way of thinking. Temple Grandin was the keynote speaker and she is severely autistic, especially when she was young and now has her PhD in animal husbandry. They also made a HBO TV movie that we were able to buy on DVD. It was fantastic. Jonmarie and Shaunie stayed and Grandma's and I think Uncle Matt enjoys when they come, even if he won't admit it!
Nolan needed to come to Red Deer on Tuesday for work and stayed with mom and Matt. It was good for the brother's to get together and Nolan took Matt for an outing.
Hope everyone is sticking to their New Year's resolution's! Mom has lost something like 16 lbs and is so excited when she can fit into something she hasn't worn for 3 years. I know I have to get more muscles built up. Some very good friends of mine are planning a weekend trip to Canmore and cycling to Banff and back. It should be a great time.
Thank goodness the weather is supposed to improve on Tuesday. Matt has been housebound for most of the week. He finds it just too cold to go out, even when the van is running right. That is one thing that is getting worse, his ability to keep warm in the cold. I feel the same way! Winter was fun as a kid, not so much anymore. However we have been going outside everyday since the huge snowfall we had a few days ago and last weekend and the kids love it! John has been out with the tractor moving snow around and they sit right where he is going to dump it and get a huge load of snow on their heads. Weird kids.
John and I were lucky enough to go to an Autistic conference in Edmonton. We barely made it with the treacherous weather on Wednesday and didn't do so well coming back on Friday either. But we were glad to go and get insight into the autistic person's way of thinking. Temple Grandin was the keynote speaker and she is severely autistic, especially when she was young and now has her PhD in animal husbandry. They also made a HBO TV movie that we were able to buy on DVD. It was fantastic. Jonmarie and Shaunie stayed and Grandma's and I think Uncle Matt enjoys when they come, even if he won't admit it!
Nolan needed to come to Red Deer on Tuesday for work and stayed with mom and Matt. It was good for the brother's to get together and Nolan took Matt for an outing.
Hope everyone is sticking to their New Year's resolution's! Mom has lost something like 16 lbs and is so excited when she can fit into something she hasn't worn for 3 years. I know I have to get more muscles built up. Some very good friends of mine are planning a weekend trip to Canmore and cycling to Banff and back. It should be a great time.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow!!
Mom, Matt, Jacki and the kids came back from Sask on Monday. They left late in the afternoon because they couldn't get his van started again! Then when Jacki was going to leave the house Tuesday morning to go back to Calgary, her van wouldn't start! Batteries do not last long in our family!
The girls are back into the swing of things at school. Shaunie enjoys the routine but Jonmarie doesn't care for it too much, she says it is too hard and would rather be at home. We all feel like that when we are working!
We were starting to think winter was going to be mild with only a few snowy and windy days. Yesterday the wind started and then the snow started. We had been so spoiled with single minus digit weather, ranging from -9 to -1 and sunny. However now we had difficulty getting out of the driveway. It plummeted to -19 during the day and the windchill is -30. It didn't' slow us down at home, though. John took the dogs for a walk both days and Jonmarie and Shaunie build snow forts and dug tunnels. I shovelled and shovelled and shovelled! So did mom. It took her an hour to shovel her driveway. Matt said he was in the house and all of a sudden he her a loud "thud". It was the snow falling off the house. Traffic was sparse and John drove me to church this morning because the plow didn't come yet and there was 3 feet of snow blown up in some areas.
Mom is thinking of getting a treadmill for herself. I think it would be great. That way she could exercise at home. However I told her it wasn't going to work if she didn't use it!
Hope everyone is safe and warm tonight!
The girls are back into the swing of things at school. Shaunie enjoys the routine but Jonmarie doesn't care for it too much, she says it is too hard and would rather be at home. We all feel like that when we are working!
We were starting to think winter was going to be mild with only a few snowy and windy days. Yesterday the wind started and then the snow started. We had been so spoiled with single minus digit weather, ranging from -9 to -1 and sunny. However now we had difficulty getting out of the driveway. It plummeted to -19 during the day and the windchill is -30. It didn't' slow us down at home, though. John took the dogs for a walk both days and Jonmarie and Shaunie build snow forts and dug tunnels. I shovelled and shovelled and shovelled! So did mom. It took her an hour to shovel her driveway. Matt said he was in the house and all of a sudden he her a loud "thud". It was the snow falling off the house. Traffic was sparse and John drove me to church this morning because the plow didn't come yet and there was 3 feet of snow blown up in some areas.
Mom is thinking of getting a treadmill for herself. I think it would be great. That way she could exercise at home. However I told her it wasn't going to work if she didn't use it!
Hope everyone is safe and warm tonight!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year!!!
Can yo believe it? Christmas and New Year is over and now tomorrow school starts again. Jonmarie has went into a depressed state thinking about it. I am not too happy about it either. It also means back to work.
We had a great Christmas holiday. We stayed in Red Deer and the girls could hardly wait for Santa to come. It did look like a tsunami hit the place after all the presents were open. Matt got an Ereader and it is small enough to fit in the one hand. Nolan broke his hand so he was out of commission for helping clean up. Dad had stayed in Sask. The weather was great so the kids went outside for awhile.
On Dec. 27th Matt and mom took the van and Jacki and I piled all the kids into my van. Poor John, Gary and Nolan had to stay and work. The van was really loaded down and needless to say was filthy by the time we arrived in Weekes. The kids are such good travellers though, so I didn't mind too much.
On the 28th Grandpa had cut down an old poplar tree and the kids had so much fun stacking the wood. It was always fun when you are little, not so much fun when it was 30 below and you had to do it! They discovered a tiny hole in the creek where it was only a few centimetres deep and loved standing on the ice and watching the water bubble up.
Matt went for wings on Wednesday and had a good time. I would have went but Jonmarie had a severe case of strep throat and had a constant fever, sore throat, and was throwing up to boot.She was so upset she was sick on her holidays. And then Auntie Sandy, Shauna and Jada came to visit as well. Auntie Sandy had a bad eye infection and had to go into Porcupine to see Dr. Pieterse. Shauna wasn't feeling the greatest due to the pregnancy so we were a real fun bunch!!
Matt enjoyed going uptown for afternoon coffee to play crib. Sometimes they were there for 3 hours! Jacki and I just stayed home and worked, worked, worked! Mom was worked a few shifts at the nursing home so she was busy too.
On Friday Jacki and I helped Matt to stand with the standing frame and he stood for a good 1/2 hours. He took breaks in between standing but still did well. I noticed Matt is still improving with his transferring and is becoming more independent. His right hand seems to be stronger too. Jacki then made Matt fold all the towels. He did a great job. Jacki, mom and I then took the kids to the skating rink for the church's function. Shaunie learned how to skate! I was so proud of her. It was great to go to a small rink where the kids could just be kids without caretakers breathing down their necks. Bradon Kipling helped out alot. He also took Matt to the Weekes hotel for New Year's Eve, which was great because I had to drive back on Saturday to Red Deer and sure didn't feel like staying up too late.
Hope everyone had a great holiday and had time to spend with family. Thank you Lord for the blessings in 2010 and prayers for more to come!
We had a great Christmas holiday. We stayed in Red Deer and the girls could hardly wait for Santa to come. It did look like a tsunami hit the place after all the presents were open. Matt got an Ereader and it is small enough to fit in the one hand. Nolan broke his hand so he was out of commission for helping clean up. Dad had stayed in Sask. The weather was great so the kids went outside for awhile.
On Dec. 27th Matt and mom took the van and Jacki and I piled all the kids into my van. Poor John, Gary and Nolan had to stay and work. The van was really loaded down and needless to say was filthy by the time we arrived in Weekes. The kids are such good travellers though, so I didn't mind too much.
On the 28th Grandpa had cut down an old poplar tree and the kids had so much fun stacking the wood. It was always fun when you are little, not so much fun when it was 30 below and you had to do it! They discovered a tiny hole in the creek where it was only a few centimetres deep and loved standing on the ice and watching the water bubble up.
Matt went for wings on Wednesday and had a good time. I would have went but Jonmarie had a severe case of strep throat and had a constant fever, sore throat, and was throwing up to boot.She was so upset she was sick on her holidays. And then Auntie Sandy, Shauna and Jada came to visit as well. Auntie Sandy had a bad eye infection and had to go into Porcupine to see Dr. Pieterse. Shauna wasn't feeling the greatest due to the pregnancy so we were a real fun bunch!!
Matt enjoyed going uptown for afternoon coffee to play crib. Sometimes they were there for 3 hours! Jacki and I just stayed home and worked, worked, worked! Mom was worked a few shifts at the nursing home so she was busy too.
On Friday Jacki and I helped Matt to stand with the standing frame and he stood for a good 1/2 hours. He took breaks in between standing but still did well. I noticed Matt is still improving with his transferring and is becoming more independent. His right hand seems to be stronger too. Jacki then made Matt fold all the towels. He did a great job. Jacki, mom and I then took the kids to the skating rink for the church's function. Shaunie learned how to skate! I was so proud of her. It was great to go to a small rink where the kids could just be kids without caretakers breathing down their necks. Bradon Kipling helped out alot. He also took Matt to the Weekes hotel for New Year's Eve, which was great because I had to drive back on Saturday to Red Deer and sure didn't feel like staying up too late.
Hope everyone had a great holiday and had time to spend with family. Thank you Lord for the blessings in 2010 and prayers for more to come!
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